Class 10 NCERT Civics: Chapter 4 - Political Parties

Overview

Political parties are central to democracy, acting as vehicles for power-sharing and negotiating social divisions. This chapter explores their nature, functions, necessity, types, challenges, and reforms, with a focus on India’s national and regional parties.

Why Do We Need Political Parties?

Political parties are highly visible but often criticized institutions in democracies, equated with democracy itself by many citizens.

Meaning

• A political party is a group that contests elections and seeks to govern by promoting collective good through agreed policies and programs.
• Parties reflect societal divisions, involve partisanship, and are defined by the policies and interests they uphold.
• Components: Leaders, active members, and followers.

Functions

• Contest Elections: Parties field candidates, chosen by members/supporters (e.g., USA) or top leaders (e.g., India).
• Propose Policies: Group diverse opinions into coherent positions for voters to choose, reducing complexity.
• Make Laws: Party members in legislatures follow party lines, shaping laws.
• Form Governments: Recruit and train leaders to run governments as ministers.
• Act as Opposition: Criticize government failures and mobilize opposition.
• Shape Public Opinion: Raise issues, launch movements, and influence society through members and pressure groups.
• Provide Access: Connect citizens to government machinery and welfare schemes via local leaders.

Necessity

• Parties are essential for representative democracies to aggregate views, form responsive governments, and ensure accountability.
• Without parties, independent candidates cannot promise major policy changes, leading to unstable governance.
• Even non-party panchayat elections show party-like factionalism, proving their inevitability.

How Many Parties Should We Have?

The number of effective parties varies by country, shaped by social diversity, history, and electoral systems.

• One-Party System: Single party controls government (e.g., China’s Communist Party). Not democratic due to lack of competition.
• Two-Party System: Two main parties dominate (e.g., USA, UK). Others exist but rarely win majorities.
• Multi-Party System: Multiple parties compete, often forming coalitions (e.g., India’s NDA, UPA, Left Front in 2004). Can be messy but represents diverse interests.
• Evolution: Party systems evolve naturally, not by choice, based on a country’s unique circumstances.

Popular Participation in Political Parties

Despite distrust, political parties see high engagement in India.

• Low Trust: Most South Asians and global citizens distrust parties, with more expressing “not much” or “no trust” than “some” or “great” trust.
• High Participation: India has higher party membership than Canada, Japan, or Spain. Membership and party identification have risen over three decades.

National and State Parties

India’s federal system includes national parties (active across states) and state parties (regional in influence).

National Parties

• Criteria: Secure 6% of votes in Lok Sabha or four state assembly elections and win four Lok Sabha seats.
• Recognition: Election Commission grants unique symbols and facilities to recognized parties.
• Six National Parties (2023):
  • Aam Aadmi Party (AAP): Formed 2012, focuses on anti-corruption, governs Delhi and Punjab, won 1 Lok Sabha seat in 2019.
  • Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP): Formed 1984, represents Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs; strong in Uttar Pradesh, won 10 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.
  • Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): Formed 1980, promotes Hindutva and integral humanism, leads NDA, won 303 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.
  • Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPI-M): Formed 1964, supports socialism, strong in West Bengal, Kerala, Tripura, won 3 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.
  • Indian National Congress (INC): Formed 1885, centrist, led UPA (2004-2014), won 52 Lok Sabha seats in 2019.
  • National People’s Party (NPP): Formed 2013, first Northeast national party, governs Meghalaya, won 1 Lok Sabha seat in 2019.

State Parties

• Criteria: Secure 6% of votes and two seats in state assembly elections.
• Examples: Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (national presence), Biju Janata Dal, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (state-focused).
• Impact: Growing strength since 1996, forcing national parties to form alliances, strengthening federalism.

Challenges to Political Parties

Parties face criticism for failing to uphold democratic functions, with four key challenges:

• Lack of Internal Democracy: Power concentrates in top leaders; no regular elections, membership registers, or open decision-making. Loyalty to leaders overshadows party principles.
• Dynastic Succession: Leaders favor family members for top posts, limiting opportunities for ordinary workers and undermining merit.
• Money and Muscle Power: Parties prioritize rich or criminal candidates to win elections, allowing donors to influence policies.
• Lack of Meaningful Choice: Declining ideological differences (e.g., similar economic policies) leave voters with few distinct options.

Reforming Political Parties

Reforms are needed but face resistance from party leaders who benefit from the status quo.

Existing Reforms

• Anti-Defection Law: MPs/MLAs lose seats if they switch parties, reducing defection but limiting dissent.
• Supreme Court Order: Candidates must file affidavits on assets and criminal cases, increasing transparency but lacking verification.
• Election Commission Order: Parties must hold internal elections and file tax returns, though often a formality.

Proposed Reforms

• Regulate internal party affairs (membership registers, independent dispute resolution, open elections).
• Mandate one-third tickets for women and quotas in decision-making bodies.
• Provide state funding for elections (cash or in-kind) based on past vote shares.

Challenges and Solutions

• Resistance: Parties resist reforms that reduce their control; over-regulation may lead to evasion.
• Public Pressure: Citizens, media, and pressure groups can push for reforms through petitions and agitations.
• Internal Change: Committed individuals joining parties can improve their functioning, as better politics solves bad politics.

Case Study: Nagarik Shakti (Bangladesh)

Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner, launched Nagarik Shakti in 2007 to promote good governance and fight corruption.

• Support: Citizens like Shahedul Islam saw it as a chance for better leadership.
• Criticism: Traditional parties questioned Yunus’s motives, fearing external influence or controversy.

Key Learnings

• Political parties are essential for democracy, performing functions like contesting elections, making laws, and shaping public opinion.
• India’s multi-party system reflects its diversity, with national and state parties forming coalitions.
• Parties face challenges like internal democracy deficits, dynastic succession, and money power.
• Reforms require public pressure and internal participation to overcome resistance.

Exercises

1. List party functions: Contest elections, propose policies, make laws, form governments, act as opposition, shape opinion, provide access.
2. Challenges: Lack of internal democracy, dynastic succession, money/muscle power, lack of voter choice.
3. Reforms: Regulate internal affairs, mandate women’s tickets, state funding.
4. Political party: Group contesting elections to hold power with shared policies.
5. Characteristics: Leaders, members, followers; partisanship; policy-driven.
6. Group contesting elections: Political party.
7. Match List I with List II:

   List I	List II
   Congress Party	United Progressive Alliance
   Bharatiya Janata Party	National Democratic Alliance
   Communist Party of India (Marxist)	Left Front
   Telugu Desam Party	State party

8. BSP founder: (A) Kanshi Ram.
9. BJP philosophy: (C) Integral humanism.
10. Correct statements: (b) A and B (low trust, scandals).